The Problem I Wanted To Solve

So I like to dance a bit in my garage workshop. But man, slamming my heel down on the bare concrete floor? It felt awful, shock going right up my leg. Hurt after a few minutes. Really needed something softer underfoot.

What I Tried First (And It Failed!)

Grabbed some regular yoga mats. Looked cheap and easy. Taped two together.

Got up, bounced… nothing! It felt like dancing on concrete covered in rubber. Still hard, still jarring my joints. Zero spring. Waste of time. Tossed ’em aside.

Thought about thick carpet, but knew it wouldn’t last and cost too much. Scratched my head.

The Lightbulb Moment & Experimenting

Watched a video of someone bouncing on a raised wood stage. Saw how it flexed. That’s it! Needed wood that could bend, just a little.

Had some thin plywood sheets lying around. Maybe… layers? Like a sandwich?

Saw those tough plastic grids people put under decking to keep it above the ground. Cheap plastic lattice stuff. Had some left over from another dumb project. Figured it could create space for bounce?

Got my hands dirty:

• Cut Plywood: Rough cut two sheets of plywood about the same size. Didn’t need anything fancy.
• Placed the Grid: Just threw the plastic grid thing on the garage floor. Laid the first plywood sheet on top.
• Added More Layers: Threw another piece of plastic grid right on top of that first plywood. Then plopped the second plywood sheet on that.
• Stuck It Together: Messy gluing time. Slapped heavy-duty construction adhesive like goo all over the plastic grids where they touched the plywood above and below. Basically glued the plywood to the grid on both sides.
• Sat On It: Not literally sitting forever, but piled heavy junk on top (old toolboxes, buckets of screws) to squish the layers together while the glue dried overnight.

The Big Test (Nervously)

Came back the next day, kicked the junk off. Knocked on it. Sounded solid. Took a deep breath… stepped on.
It sunk! Just a tiny bit. Took another step. Then bounced on my toes.
Oh yeah! That’s the feeling! The whole thing flexed gently under my weight. Slammed my heel down. The shock… gone! It felt soft, springy. Exactly what I wanted. Not concrete anymore.

Danced around for ten minutes like an idiot. Big grin. Felt great. Floor worked.

Final Thoughts & Why It Works

Turns out this is stupid simple. The plastic grid holds the plywood sheets slightly apart. When you step, the top plywood bends just a tiny bit into the space below. That bending action eats up the shock. It’s like a microscopic trampoline under each footstep.

Is it a perfect ballroom floor? Heck no. But for banging around the garage to music? It fixes the jarring concrete problem completely. Cheap, easy with junk scraps. And way better than yoga mats. My feet are finally happy.